Dream Shadow

One

New school, new faces, I think as I stare up at the grey concrete building in front of me. People linger in the courtyard, waiting for friends to arrive and chatting in groups. Nobody bats an eye at me as I trudge through, schedule in hand. My school shoes are shining with water from puddles of melted snow, squeaking as I cross the hardwood floor of the main lobby to the front desk. An elderly woman with a kind face clacks away at a computer. Just don't draw attention to yourself and everything will be fine. Keep your mouth shut. What they don't know won't hurt them or yourself.
"E-excuse me, Miss?" I ask quietly. My voice seems to echo off the glossy walls and high ceilings. Frikin rich people. The lady looks at me.
"How can I help you?" She responds in a sweet voice. I look down at my schedule, finding that I've crumpled it in my hand. Slowly, I smooth it out and stare at it, trying to make sense of the words and numbers. "New student?" I adjust my satchel and nod. "Name?" My heart stops.
"I--- I was just wondering if you could tell me where my homeroom is?" I respond quickly, thrusting my schedule out towards her. She smiles and takes the paper, scanning it.
"You want to go up that staircase and to the right. It's all the way at the end of the hall. I wish you luck. Your mentor is kinda... Quiet. That's the nice way to put it..."
"Thanks, Miss," I say as she hands my schedule back to me and I turn towards the magnificent staircase, with glossy oak banisters and a velvet colored carpet. It looks like it would belong in a theatre, not a school. I hurry up it, clutching the strap to my satchel in my right hand and scanning the door numbers. I find the room and take a moment to compose myself, fixing my tie, which has come untucked, and adjusting my glasses. I pull a tissue from my bag and dab the moisture from outside and my walk from home with it, quickly stuffing it in my pocket to be disposed of later. Taking a deep breath, I make sure everything is suitable and in place before stepping inside.
Looking around, I see only one empty seat, next to a boy station out the window. He has headphones in and rests his chin in his hand. Everyone who's already in class chats along with friends. Girls giggle in groups in the corners and sit in circles atop tables. Boys are talking and laughing too loudly, or are immersed in their phones and portable gaming systems. Nobody notices me. Slowly, I approach the table and sit in the empty seat, pulling out my cracked phone and opening a reading app. There's a long silence between me and the boy, as he hasn't noticed I've sat down. I begin to breathe a sigh of relief until-
"Who the hell are you?"
I look up and find the boy looking at me. He's got dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes. He looks shocked and angry to see me in his space.
"I--- I'm Phil... I'm new here. I'm sorry if I startled you," I squeak out. The boy only reaches for a Starbucks coffee cup and takes a sip, scowling at the taste. Or maybe he's scowling at me. That makes more sense.
"Damn near gave me a heart attack," he spits. I nod silently.
"M'sorry, mate. I didn't mean to."
He narrows his eyes and I squirm under his scrutinizing gaze.
"You're from up North. Aren't you?"
Silently, I nod. The boy huffs.
"S'your last name?" He asks suddenly. "M'supposed to be getting a mentee today named Phil." I stop and scrunch my nose. This kid is my mentor?
"Lester," I say, matter-of-factly. The boy searches through his bag and sighs.
"I'm Dan, your peer mentor," he sighs in a monotonous tone. "Welcome to Berkshire academy, where intuition is key." Oh boy. This is going to be a long six months, I can tell. Nevertheless, I just smile and accept his half-hearted welcome. Dan turns away again and I pick up my phone again, only dropping it on the floor by accident. Sighing, I lean down to pick it up, banging my head on the table as I straighten up. Next thing I know, coffee is dripping onto my head and back. Ah geez, of course. "What the fuck, man?!" Dan shouts, causing all conversation to stop abruptly. People turn to stare.
"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"
"Piss off," he growls, standing and leaving the room. Great. Just great.